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Using AI Conversations

Blackboard Ultra

Last modified: March 27, 2026

This guide walks UAS instructors through creating, customizing, previewing, and reviewing AI Conversations in your Ultra course.

About AI Conversations

AI Conversations are structured activities where students interact with an AI persona you design around a topic or scenario. They work well for critical thinking practice, career exploration, and engaging with complex, open-ended questions.

Every AI Conversation activity has two parts:

AI Conversation: The student engages directly with the AI persona using the conversation type you select (Socratic questioning or role-play).
Reflection question: After the conversation, students respond to a prompt you write. Students can also flag AI bias or errors, supporting responsible AI use.

Current conversation types available at UAS are Socratic Questioning and Role-play.

Note AI Conversations use Anthology's Trustworthy AI framework. Students are always aware they are speaking with an AI.

Add an AI Conversation to your course

Open your Blackboard Ultra course and go to the Course Content page.
Select the + (plus) button where you want to add the activity, then choose Create.
In the Create Item panel, scroll to the Participation and Engagement section.
Select AI Conversation.

Setting Up and Reviewing AI Conversations

After selecting AI Conversation from the Create Item menu, you'll walk through a two-step setup: first choosing your conversation type (Socratic Questioning or Role-play) and entering your topic or scenario, then designing an AI persona with a name, avatar, and personality description. Once published, you can review each student's conversation transcript and reflection response from the Gradebook.

Important Always use Preview chat before releasing to students. AI tools can produce unexpected or biased responses.

UAS Tips & Recommendations

Pedagogical framing

Let students know why they are using an AI conversation tool. Connecting the activity to course learning outcomes, and discussing responsible AI use, helps students engage more thoughtfully and critically.

Keep topics genuinely open-ended

Socratic Questioning works best when there is no single correct answer. Avoid prompts that can be "won" quickly. Topics grounded in Southeast Alaska contexts (resource management, Indigenous knowledge systems, climate change impacts in coastal communities) can make these conversations especially relevant for UAS students.

Persona personality matters

The personality description you write has a significant effect on AI responses. Be specific and preview thoroughly. A persona described as "a friendly but skeptical marine biologist who asks follow-up questions" will behave very differently from one described simply as "a scientist."

Reflection is required for the activity to count

Students must complete both the AI conversation and the reflection question for their submission to be recorded. Remind students of this in your course instructions or the item description.

Get help from CELT

UAS's Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) can help you design AI Conversation activities, review your persona setup, and think through how to integrate this tool into your course

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